Local Authors & Consignment

One of our favorite things about being an independent bookstore is getting to celebrate the writers in our own community.  River Reader Books is proud to support local and regional authors, and we love introducing our readers to books with connections to Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri, and the greater Western Missouri area.  Because we are a small bookstore with limited shelf and storage space, we aren’t able to carry every book submitted to us. Our consignment program allows us to welcome more independent and self-published authors into the shop while making sure each title is a good fit for our readers.  If you have written a book you think belongs on the shelves at River Reader Books, we would love for you to read through the information below before submitting it for consideration.

​

Is Your Book a Good Fit for River Reader Books?

Before submitting your book, take a little time to visit the shop, browse our shelves, and get to know the kinds of books we carry.  We are much more likely to consider a title when the author understands our store and can tell us why River Reader customers would enjoy their book.  We especially love hearing about connections to:

• Lexington, Missouri

• Lafayette County

• Western Missouri

• Missouri history, people, or places

• Our local and regional community

• River Reader Books and our customers

A local connection does not automatically guarantee acceptance, but it is always helpful for us to know your story.

​

Book Requirements

Books submitted for consignment should be ready to sit on a bookstore shelf alongside traditionally published titles.  Before submitting your book, please make sure it:

• Has an ISBN

• Has a scannable barcode clearly printed on the back cover

• Clearly displays the book title and author name

• Has the title printed on the spine when the book's size and format reasonably allow

• Is professionally printed and bound

• Has been carefully edited and proofread

• Has a professional-quality cover and interior design

• Is priced competitively with books of a similar genre, length, and format

• Fits within a genre or subject area carried by River Reader Books

• Is appropriate for our customers and our store

• Physically fits within our shelving and display space

We strongly encourage independent authors to consider working with professional editors, illustrators, cover designers, and formatters when possible.  Your book doesn't need to come from a huge publishing house to look beautiful on a bookstore shelf — but it should look and feel like a book that is ready to meet its readers.

​

How to Submit Your Book

We prefer that consignment requests begin in writing rather than by phone. This gives us a chance to review your information when we aren't helping customers, making drinks, unpacking books, or doing one of the approximately 487 other things happening in a small bookstore on any given day.  To submit a title for consideration:

1. Complete the Local Author Consignment Form. Please submit a separate application for each title you would like us to consider.

2. Provide one finished copy of the book for review.

3. Email us a short introduction at rivereaderlex@gmail.com.

 

Please include:

• Your name and contact information

• Book title

• ISBN

• Retail price

• Genre and target audience

• A short description of the book

• Information about your publishing and distribution

• Any promotional or publicity plans

• Your local or regional connection

• Any connection you have to River Reader Books

• Why you believe the book will appeal to our customers

 

Promotional materials, reviews, press coverage, or information about upcoming author events may also be included.  Your review copy may be dropped off at the store or mailed to:

River Reader Books
1010 Main Street
Lexington, Missouri

​

Can I Just Bring My Book In?

No.  We want to give each submission proper consideration rather than making a rushed decision across the counter.  Once we have reviewed your application and book, we will contact you with our decision.

​

If Your Book Is Accepted

If your title is accepted into the River Reader Books Consignment Program, we may initially accept up to five copies.  The exact quantity is at the discretion of River Reader Books and may depend on available shelf space, expected demand, upcoming events, and previous sales.  Books will generally be shelved in the section we believe gives them the best opportunity to reach the right reader.  Whenever possible, we love giving local authors extra visibility, but specific placement, face-out display, table placement, window displays, social media promotion, or other special merchandising cannot be guaranteed.  Shelf placement and merchandising decisions remain at the discretion of River Reader Books.

​

Our Consignment Terms

Our standard consignment split is:

60% of the selling price to the author
40% retained by River Reader Books

Books will generally remain on consignment for an initial 90-day period.  If a title is selling well, we may choose to continue carrying it beyond the initial consignment period.  If a title has had no sales activity for approximately three months, or if we need the shelf space for other inventory, we reserve the right to discontinue the title.

​

Payments

Consignment payments are issued four times each year:

• January

• April

• July

• October

Authors are responsible for providing accurate contact and payment information.

​

Keeping Your Book in Stock

Authors are responsible for delivering additional inventory when needed.  Because our storage space is limited, please do not bring additional copies unless we have requested them.  We may contact you when inventory is running low or when additional copies are needed for an event, signing, or promotion.

​

Unsold Books

If River Reader Books decides to discontinue your title, we will contact you using the information provided on your consignment application.

Authors are responsible for picking up unsold inventory within 30 days of notification.  Books that have not been picked up within 30 days may be donated to a school, library, charitable organization, community program, or another organization of River Reader Books' choosing.  While we will treat consigned books with the same care we give our own inventory, River Reader Books cannot be responsible for books that are lost, stolen, or damaged.

​

Pricing Your Book

Please think carefully about your retail price before submitting your book.  Customers naturally compare independently published books with other books on our shelves. A book that is priced significantly higher than similar titles can be much harder for us to sell.

Your retail price should take into consideration:

• Book size and format

• Page count

• Hardcover versus paperback

• Comparable books in your genre

• Printing costs

• The bookstore's 40% consignment portion

Whenever possible, the book should also be offered at a consistent retail price across the places where it is sold.

​

Already Traditionally Published?

If your book is available to River Reader Books through one of our regular book distributors under standard bookstore purchasing terms, please let us know.

We may be able to order the book directly rather than place it on consignment.  Please email rivereaderlex@gmail.com with the title, author, ISBN, publisher, distributor information, and details about your connection to our area.

​

A Few Things to Remember

Submitting a book does not guarantee that River Reader Books will be able to carry it.

We consider each title individually based on factors such as:

• Quality and presentation

• Subject and genre

• Customer interest

• Retail price

• Local or regional connection

• Current inventory

• Available shelf space

• Previous sales of similar titles

The final decision regarding whether a title is carried, how many copies are accepted, where it is shelved, and how long it remains in the store belongs to River Reader Books.  These are the same kinds of decisions we make every day when selecting any book for the shop.  And sometimes saying no simply means we don't believe we are the right bookstore for that particular book.

​

We're Rooting for You

Writing and publishing a book takes an incredible amount of work.  We know how exciting it is to walk into a bookstore and see something you created sitting on the shelf — especially when that bookstore is part of your own community.  Our consignment program is one small way River Reader Books can help connect local writers with local readers.  We can't promise a home for every book.  But we can promise to appreciate the work it took to create one.  And when a River Reader customer discovers a new favorite book written by someone from right here in our community?  That's one of the very best parts of what we get to do.